Part A establishes the Working Group to Study and Recommend Strategies to Increase the Utilization of Individual Tax Credits. The working group consists of Legislators, members with experience related to taxation, tax preparation, consumer protection or municipal management and members representing the interests of low-income individuals and individuals 65 years of age or older. The working group is tasked with studying and developing recommendations to increase the use of individual State tax credits by individuals in this State by examining the following: current use of state tax credits across various demographics; services offered by large tax preparation firms with respect to assisting consumers with obtaining state tax credits; regulatory structures used by other states to regulate tax preparers; the role that the State Government plays in promoting public awareness of individual tax credits; the current role performed by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services taxpayer advocate; and municipal efforts to promote public awareness of individual state tax credits and resources that could be used by municipalities to expand those efforts. The working group is authorized but not required to solicit public comment in respect to any of the recommendations developed pursuant to the working group's studies. The working group must submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation by December 15, 2025 a report consisting of the working group's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation. The joint standing committee may report out legislation related to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. Part B of the bill requires large tax preparation firms that offer tax return preparation services in this State to annually submit to the Office of Tax Policy within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services and the taxpayer advocate employed by the bureau, a report documenting the staff training provided to the firm's employees in the last year related to increasing the knowledge of state tax credits. Firms covered under this Part are firms that have multiple franchise locations or offer remote services across the country and that have at least 50 employees. The first report is due January 1, 2026. Part C directs the State Controller to transfer $150,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the All Other line category in the University of Maine System, New Ventures Maine program, General Fund account by June 30, 2025 to support a coalition of
50 organizations providing free volunteer tax assistance and other financial education services to low-income individuals and families statewide. The Chancellor of the University of Maine System in maintaining the New Ventures Maine program must submit a report by June 1, 2026 to the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation that includes a description of how the coalition receiving the funds is using those funds and how many individuals and families the coalition has served with those funds.